


After all

by Lyrishadow



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2016-04-13
Packaged: 2018-06-02 00:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6543865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrishadow/pseuds/Lyrishadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From a prompt: After Ziost...<br/>Chapter 1: Sith Warrior story.</p><p>Explores elements of story from Ziost, and  KOTFE  shouldn't be too many spoilers but you never know. I have divided the short stories into chapters hopefully... and hope you enjoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. No Rest

**Author's Note:**

> All characters come from my legacy Nightfire, which I will eventually do something with to make a more cohesive story. Regardless my legacy exists in game on Begeren Colony (US). I did not really begin this to star them in writing, fan fic is really new to me, but it appeals.

Sleep did not come, and that was almost a relief. If she did not sleep she could not dream, no dreams meant not waking drenched in sweat, gasping for air and seeing it again.  
Berry’an, the mighty wrath, angrily flicked through files on her terminal. So many lives...and to what purpose? How was his life so much more valuable than others? It made her feel ill to know she had willingly served him, that her life had been so deeply scarred by him. Worse than that wretch Darth Baras, the betrayal of the Emperor was exacting in its pain.  
She glanced back at her bed, where her husband still slept, and tried to force herself to calm down. Betrayal with Malavi was still a sore subject. She tried to be quiet and not wake him.  
“Can’t sleep, my love?” Malavi Quinn, sat up in bed waiting for her reply.  
“Same as usual since…”  
“You know it was not your fault?” He said quietly “ you did not create the monster.”   
“No, but I failed to stop it.” Her voice echoed with regret, Ziost had been a planet full of people, living lives, it took only a few minutes for him to take it all.  
“Still not your fault…” He responded, they had this conversation regularly, he knew that part of the problem was her greatest strength - she did not rely only on the dark side of the Force, but also the light. It was her compassion now that caused her the most pain.  
“You tried where many gave up.” Malavi pointed out “You alone bought time to evacuate more people, and you will find justice for Ziost someday.”  
She nodded. She knew she would at least try. She hit the button that powered down the screen with just a little too much force, and headed back to bed.  
“Just don’t break that one” Malavi sighed, she had in the time he had known her- some three or four years- broken that particular button seemingly weekly.  
“I still can't sleep…” She pouted a little, reigning in her mood so she moved with less danger of destroying their room.  
Malavi nodded “I understand, I was there with you remember…”   
His voice caught and Berry leant into his offered embrace with a sigh.   
“At least we had each other, and he let us leave.” She sighed, carefully removing her light sabre. She used to sleep in full armour, always ready to fight, but Malavi had objected. She suspected it kind of scared him that she was able to do what she did but, on some level he was the sane steadying influence in her life. The precious hours they spent in her room where Quinn was her husband and not her Captain, and she was his wife, not a powerful Sith Lord were often some of the best in her day.   
Not now however, since Ziost what time they had together was going over the event, comforting each other after various nightmares, it felt horrible to be robbed of hope for peace.


	2. Can't get a break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From a prompt: After Ziost...  
> Chapter 2: Bounty hunter
> 
> Explores elements of story from Ziost, and KOTFE shouldn't be too many spoilers but you never know. I have divided the short stories into chapters hopefully... and hope you enjoy.

“Torian, let's go.” She had been pacing for an hour, pent up anger coming out as energy.  
“Patience...got to check our gear.”  
They were finally getting a break. A longed for hunting trip.  
“Ok...sorry.” She sat down, but tensely twirled her gun.  
“Ah..no offence Lyri but could you settle a bit….”  
“Sorry.” She returned her gun to the holster, trying to let go of some of her anger. She hated that the last few years had been consumed by anger. What the republic had done though, had caused her pain. Seeing her friends dead in Nar Shaddar had… She tried not to think about that. She had declared skira and Torian along with her crew had agreed. They had paid dearly for killing her friends. In that time Torian had been a highlight. Then the whole thing with Yavin 4 and Ziost.  
Ziost was why the anger brewed now.  
She was hoping that the trip would ebb some of that away. Besides she looked forward to getting some space off ship.  
“Mako…” She called her friend “ how is..”  
“Makeb is fine, you have permits, and I have everything in hand here. The rest of us are gonna get a break too, use some of the contacts we have and stay somewhere nice, a break is great idea.”  
“You know how to get me if…”  
“Yes, now get going...Torian’s friends are due in a few days, so enjoy the first two..” Mako winked and pretty much shoved them out the door.  
Torian handed her a pack and shouldered one himself.  
“Looking forward to introducing you to my brothers.” He said with a grin  
“Let's find that spot you wanted to hunt in.” She nodded towards the speeder “which way again?”  
“Frinn Mesa. We can show Corridan the volcanic Mesa, he would enjoy that.”  
“Be a good story.” Lyri agreed.  
They arrived and chose a secluded spot to set up camp, which took the better part of the day.  
Lyriwen planned to let Torian cook, he was actually good with food, and she didn't mind the heat of the Mandalorian spices. Just the same she had bought a coconut from Rishi just to be sure.  
“You came prepared.” Torian laughed at her “ Think I'm going to burn you, Cyara?”  
“Ah...who says I don't just like coconut milk?”  
He smiled kissed her on the forehead “I have known you while, so it would be me…”  
“Drink?” She said poking her tongue at him and giggling.  
“Sure, just because you asked..”  
Later as they sat together by the fire Lyriwen became lost in thought again. Staring at the fire her mind went back over the last few months.  
“What are you so angry lately?” Torian asked carefully, taking a risk.  
She considered lying, considered denying any such thing. Yet she knew Torian knew her pretty well.  
“Ziost.”  
“Ah.” The tone he replied with indicated that he knew already what she had been struggling with.  
“I am just a bounty hunter, why would it make sense to me..”  
“You really think that?”  
“Don’t know what I think. No honour in what he did, and …” Her voice caught in her throat, Torian stayed silent pulling her closer.  
“There were so many people on Ziost...men, women...children.”  
“I remember too, you did right by them.” He replied, trying to take some of the burden away “you bought time for them.”  
“Not enough.” She let tears flow, not normally one to cry, Torian just held her, her emotions had been building to breaking point over the last year.  
“I'm sorry.” She finally said exhaling as if she had been holding her breath that long as well.  
“It's ok. You know you are beautiful.” He kissed her gently “you want people to live and be happy, it pisses you off when they can't.. Like with the slaves on Rishi.” She nodded  
“No honor there either.”  
“Never is with slavers.” He shifted his position so he was facing her “ You have to let go of the anger though, it messes with your hunt.”  
She grimaced, knowing he was right. She had been feeling indecisive since Ziost had been destroyed in front of her.  
“How?”  
“Let it be a future hunt, you have not failed one yet.” His reply made sense, putting what needed to happen into perspective.  
As they sat together in silence Lyri’s holo echoed.  
“Mako?”  
“Darth Marr left a message on the ship, he's found him.”  
Torian sighed, no such thing as a holiday.  
“Well, let's call everyone back.”  
“Already on it.”  
Whatever this hunt held she hoped she was ready.


	3. Power Surge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From a prompt: After Ziost...  
> Chapter 3: Sith Inquisitor
> 
> Explores elements of story from Ziost, and KOTFE shouldn't be too many spoilers but you never know. I have divided the short stories into chapters hopefully... and hope you enjoy.

Lhyriza sat cross legged on the bed staring into space. Well she was meditating but her thoughts were far more diverse than her usual concentration.  
“Sith” Andronicas said coming into the room “I hate when you do that.”  
“Huh?” She stood up stretching.  
“Sitting on the bed glowing.” He replied  
“I was thinking..”  
“Glowing.”  
“Well ok. I was pondering Ziost.”  
“Crap.” He sat down on the edge of the bed “ that was a mess.”  
“But the power….” She started paused and then “ I know, a normal person would worry about the lives taken and stuff but..”  
“You are not normal.”  
“It's why you love me..” She grinned at him “ regardless, do you think he would talk to me if we found him?”  
“Hunting a Sith Emporer? Isn't Marr doing that?”  
“Yeah but he wants to kill him. I want to talk to him, then most likely kill him.” She spoke matter of factly. Her sincerity in the order of events amused Andronicas who laughed.  
“If you can kill him, I will buy you flowers.”  
“Sop. Buy me a house instead…”  
“Prefer this ship..” He grinned  
“Anyhow” she continued “As much as I'm trying not to obsess over power, not after the whole saga with the ghosts..”  
“Saga? You mean how they nearly killed you..”  
“Sure that. I was wondering how he did that thing on Yavin… My research shows nothing in the Sith side of things..”  
“So what of the Jedi ideas?”  
“Blah.” She replied and then pulled a face at him “though you have a point… Thanks I now have another set of research to do….”  
“Maybe Marr will find him sooner and you can ask him.”


	4. Reporting In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From a prompt: After Ziost...  
> Chapter 4: Imperial Agent [light side]
> 
> Explores elements of story from Ziost, and KOTFE shouldn't be too many spoilers but you never know. I have divided the short stories into chapters hopefully... and hope you enjoy.

“Legate, to Ardun Kothe reporting in.”  
“Legate. I'm glad to hear you, the reports from Ziost are...bad.”  
“You have no idea how bad…” Her voice caught a little “a whole planet just...gone.”  
“After Yavin 4 and what you told me, I really didn't know what would happen.”   
“He was stronger than we thought.” She shook her head, still looking pale even though it was hard to tell when a Chiss was upset.  
“Then Saresh chose to attack..”  
“I know. It made a bigger mess. Then Theron as well, though to his credit he was trying to help.” She passed a weary hand over her face. It was not just the toll of lives lost.  
“You tried to stop him?” Ardun asked   
“Yes. But I failed.”  
“How is Vector taking it?”  
Vector Hylus, the one decidedly bright spot in her life to date. Ardun had heard her speak of him often, describing his special connection to the Killicks and how it changed his view of the world. How he saw things that they did not, heard things they couldn't comprehend.  
“Shattered” her voice caught “ Seeing that many so quickly going dark.”  
“You will recover, just spend the time to grieve.” Ardun said quietly “As for the former…”  
“Vitiate” she interrupted “they refuse to call him Emporer.”  
“With good reason. As for him he is still out there somewhere, and I think you are one of the only ones who can stop him.”  
“Whatever comes, it won't be for the empire I'm fighting.”  
“I know. It will be for us all. The whole galaxy needs you on that. Take care of your man, Legate, let him know I need to know he is protecting you.”   
“Thank you."  
"Report to me, when you have anything else, I will try and make it get noticed, so we don't have another Ziost..." she could hear his own pause at the whole mess that Saresh had made of the place, sending in ground troops to attack had been a mistake.  
"I will do my best, Darth Marr is going to search for him. If he finds him..."  
"Deal with it when it comes." Ardun replied "Then let me know afterwards."  
"If I survive, I will let you know. If I die..." she paused sighing  
"The universe will implode... or at least you can ask Vector to tell me if things go badly."  
"I shall do that. Take care Ardun, your people are still in the thick of it."  
"Be careful Legate, erase these conversations."  
"Always. Legate out."


	5. Reclaiming Balance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From a prompt: After Ziost...  
> Chapter 5: Jedi Knight
> 
> Explores elements of story from Ziost, and KOTFE shouldn't be too many spoilers but you never know. I have divided the short stories into chapters hopefully... and hope you enjoy

I killed him, how can he be alive?   
Rhozi shrugged off her anger. It had been different before she had spent time as a Sith, some of that lingered, especially in the emotional department. With Lord Scourge added to her crew they had continued doing their job.  
But I changed.   
She sighed, no one else complained, she was a little less sympathetic, and a lot more involved in things.  
Doc was not complaining either she thought smugly not that the relationship they had was exactly to code. No she had let her guard slip a long time ago with him, and she appreciated him for not treating her badly for that.  
Vitiate is still alive. Nothing they did on Ziost had helped or hindered his return.  
She was unusually saddened by Ziost, feeling numb and tired.   
She called the crew together, because they had all been there, all seen it.  
“Why call us here Jedi?” Scourge seemed most irritated, though being called to come out of his corner in the hold was hardly taxing.  
“Ziost, we need to talk about what happened,”  
“Ouch.” Kira said what they were feeling.  
“We cannot change what's happened.” Sgt. Rusk replied to her.  
“But it hurt.” Keira added “ I know what you mean Rhoz, and I still don't know what to do.”  
“He has to be stopped.” Scourge replied “killing him did not stop him.”  
“We noticed that.” Doc had been quiet until now “ I have no idea how to stop him, since killing him didn't work..”  
“Jedi +T7 = saving galaxy?”  
“Not this time T7, I failed you all.” Rhozi looked at the droid affectionately, they had been through a lot together.  
“ Is that what you think?” It was Doc who came over to his wife, their crew had gotten used to their relationship, and she assumed kept it secret, not that she cared any more. She found herself safe in his arms.  
“You did not fail.” Lord Scourge said “ You have done all you can.”  
“Not enough” he raised an eyebrow at her thinly veiled self anger but decided not to comment on it. He tried to signal Kira to end this.  
“We are allowed to grieve what happened but we must also be ready for the next fight.” Rusk’s words echoed his military training, but he was correct.  
“Let's leave this here, we aren't going to find answers stewing on it.” Kira pointed out “ besides, some of us were doing things.”  
They filed out of the room, Doc kissing her on the forehead “ We will talk later.”   
Lord Scourge did not move with the rest, he was watching her thoughtfully.  
“You are angry, not upset.”  
“Yes.”  
“The others, except maybe Doc, do not see it… You are still their well balanced Jedi.”  
“Except anger makes me unbalanced.”  
“It does not have to, unless you allow it.”  
“You are not angry at him?”  
“His deception? No. His audacity in killing planets. It is what i had foreseen. I have had far longer with our enemy to deal with how I feel.”  
“But I failed even you.”  
“You could not stop him, but you are one of the few that tried.” He echoed the words her crew had said. Then added “Use your anger to increase your power, do not try to push it aside.”  
“I will see.” She replied “I am not Sith but I do understand that element of it all.”  
“You changed after Rishi, let your whole be your guide, don't split things into sides. Now I am going to go before I have to play some stupid game with Kira.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From a prompt: After Ziost...  
> Chapter 6: Jedi Consular
> 
> Explores elements of story from Ziost, and KOTFE shouldn't be too many spoilers but you never know. I have divided the short stories into chapters hopefully... and hope you enjoy

Felix Iresso stood next to his wife, Tik'ara was staring out the window in their quarters into space as she had done daily for the last week.   
“If you look at it it won’t change anything.” He said taking her hand and holding it tightly, protectively.  
“I know.” She closed her eyes “I just can't sleep.”  
“It is a hard call for sure. I'm here though.” His reply made her smile.  
“You really are a strength Felix, and I really love you.”she appreciated him as he wrapped her in his arms.  
“Just can’t get over Ziost..” She shook her head. “Fighting to protect and keep people safe for so long and to fail on such a massive scale … I can't…”   
“You do know that you are not the only one responsible for saving the galaxy?”  
“But I feel responsible for all that has happened.” She sighed. Sometimes being a Jedi was a heavy mantle, and she enjoyed a rare privilege in the relationship she had with Felix. It had been approved by the council long before she had joined them; and he gave her strength when she felt so lost and weak.  
“You did not make Vitiate turn around and kill everyone… you saved that Jedi at least… have you heard from Theron?” Remarkably calm in the face of catastrophe Felix managed to make her think past the situation rather than standing in the middle.  
“Feels like a storm… everything that has happened.. “  
“And he placed you in the middle of it. Oh my dear, you are not alone.” He pulled her tighter, wishing he could take away some of her confusion and pain.   
“As for Theron… I haven't heard, but I did get a note from the temple saying the girl was mending.”   
“Odd to not hear from him. “ Felix shrugged Theron had been a good friend.   
“Maybe he is still dealing with fallout from everything, and Saresh…” she shook her head, the head of the Republic had done so much more damage by sending in troops after two people on the ground had told her not to.  
“Always the politics.”  
“I am oft the peace maker.” She said quietly “Rift alliance is doing well now, and I suppose I still keep an ear out for them.”   
“Well this particular storm is passed, let others pick up the debris they caused; and remember it isn't all your job.”   
“I'm trying, its why I married you, to remind me of these things.”she smiled.  
“Which reminds me, Gyzen gave me a wookie skin…. I am flattered of course, but what does one do with it…?” He paused as she began giggling “You put him up to that!”  
“It was an honouring of you, but yes sort of - he did ask if it would suit. I think you would look quite handsome…”   
“Maybe that will help me not sleep so I can keep you company.” He said then, happy to have distracted her and made her laugh.  
“Yeah sure… come lets sleep and see how the galaxy looks tomorrow.”


End file.
